I wormed my chickens two days ago. This am went out and one was standing up in a nest box. After I had changed the feed and water she was still in there and all the rest were out roaming. I went and picked her up and she felt vey light and also she had diarrhea. Her comb seemed to be too deep of a red actually verging on maroon. I figured she was dehydrated from the diarrhea and the worming and gave her some homemade electrolyte solution and she seemed to perk up a bit. I put her in a small coop that I keep for injured chickens and she seemed aware and not feisty but okay. When I got home from work she had died. All of the other chickens have normal colored combs and seem fine. What do you think caused her to die?

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), November 09, 2000

Answers

Doreen, if you used the piperazine solution mixed in their water to worm them, I don't think the death was a direct result of the worming. Piperazine is very safe used as directed, but there is always a small chance a particular animal might be allergic to it, as with any medication, in any animal or human. She might have subcumbed to "Sudden Death Syndrome" that chickens, especially laying hens, are subject to for no apparent reason, other than a noticably looser stool than usual, sometimes a frothy greenish color, that strikes very suddenly, hence the name. I've lost several hens over the years to this, has me stumped, so healthy, then in a day or two, dead. The darker colored comb indicates general ill health in a chicken, as well as dehydration. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 10, 2000.

If you used diatomaceous earth, it could have breathed in the dust and choked. I killed three chickens this way, by mistake.

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), November 10, 2000.

Could also be coccidiosis, which is rampant here. I have lost many, many chickens to it. If you think that is what she had, treat it with Sulmet from the feed store.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.

Coccidiosis is best prevented,in my opinion, by feeding tomatoes, along with making sure your chickens have regular garlic in their ration. I have never had it in my chickens, laying or meat,and Ive raised thousands over the years.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.

I really don't know if it's cocci. I guess I will get a fecal done tomorrow am. and see what that reveals. I didn't have a heavy worm load, but the chickens are 18 mos old and the laying had dropped off and one looked like she was pale in the comb, so having not wormed them previously I figured that the symptoms indicated worms. Especially since we have had a lot of rain lately and worms tend to proliferate then. My girls are pretty much free range except for when I am starting a garden and they have always been super healthy and maybe a tic on the fat side. This is the first chicken I have lost to something "strange". Thanks for your answers!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), November 10, 2000.

Piperazine is not as safe as you've been led to believe! My daughters dog was wormed with a piperazine dog wormer and nearly died the next day! This was not the first time we have used this stuff either ....we've used it for years! Sally (the dog) had massive hemmoraging from every opening! She was in the animal hospital 8 days. $850+ later and she seems ok now. The vet said he was 99.99% sure the piperazine did it because the amount of piperazine in these products can vary greatly. He said there are other far safer drugs to use for worming. My wife contacted the manufaturer and said .."When will you be paying this vet bill for us?" It wasn't quite that simple, but they did and that was great. The letter from them about our claim said the unused medicine was destoyed before they received it for testing.....yeah right....and that they didn't agree with our vets statement but would pay us in the interest of good customer relations. Ha! They really think we're going to buy any more of their products!?! Contact your vet and find out alternatives to piperazine or try some herbal concoctions.

-- Jason (AJAMA5@netscape.net), November 12, 2000.

Wow. Interesting. I thought it was a tic odd that the feed store no longer carries the brown bottle that is just called piprezine...now they selll a product called wazine. Same stuff but different package. It may just be that the companies changed, but the feed store fella said they had to stop selling the piprezine and change to this. I spose I could try the black walnut hull powder next time. Thanks for your input, Jason.I'm glad your dogs okay now!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), November 13, 2000.